Session 7. (20/7/05)

Four wolves are running at the advance party, Mineo (Denzil Brown) and Yoshi (Chris Dore), while Miyoshi (Jim Loder) and Katchamaru (Anthony Hummerston) run up to help. Yoshi swings his sword at the first wolf, misses and ends up stunning himself. The wolf bites him. Mineo fends off the other two wolves but can't hit them. Kachamaru arrives at the same time as the last wolf and they both attack and miss each other. The other wolves also miss, as does Mineo. Miyoshi finally arrives, out of breath and the four wolves snap at the four apprentices and miss, while the four apprentices hit the four wolves simultaneously; Kachamaru scores critically and cuts the cur in two. Mineo and Yoshi get secondary hits, Mineo's also critical but only doing 3 damage, though it dazes the wolf. Yoshi's second action results in his second critical failure and he throws his sword a few yards. While he is retrieving it a wolf bites him in the undergrowth. Mineo and Miyoshi are also bitten, but Kachamaru, having already killed a wolf with one blow, turns on Mineo's tormentor and kills it in one blow. Yoshi grabs his sword and kills another wolf and Miyoshi kills the last one. Another round of bandages and the party sets off again.

A little while later Kachamaru and Kanemitsu, out in front, spot a group of Ainu. The Ainu don't seem to have spotted the samurai - their training is obviously starting to pay off. Three of the Ainu are cutting trees; the fourth appears to be standing guard. Kachamaru sends Kanemitsu back for the others, then takes aim... The others arrive and also take aim. Miyoshi, unbeknownst to the others, aims to miss but scare the Ainu. His shot succeeds and the Ainu take fright. Only Kachamaru scores a hit with his first arrow. Yoshi joins Kachamaru in firing at the Ainu that had been standing guard and both score hits. Kanemitsu hits another Ainu and the others disappear into the trees. Kachamaru and Yoshi hit the Ainu guard again and kill him. Miyoshi deliberately misses again. Kanemitsu misses the last Ainu, who disappears into the woods.

The day ends with Miyoshi and Yoshi leading the party but finding nothing before they reach Togenoshita. Here they get food, rest and some healing. The apprentices discuss their adventures late into the evening, glad to be back in civilisation, proud of their achievements but some a little worried about their actions towards the Ainu. Miyoshi and Kanemitsu are the most outspoken; Kachamaru and Mineo are gung-ho; while Yoshi and Haku (Paul Burton) see both sides of the argument.

In the morning the apprentices set off on the last leg of their adventure in high spirits. With the wilds behind them they are only expecting to find game from now on. However, their first encounter is with a jikumo (giant earth spider). As the spider closes on them, Miyoshi, Yoshi and Kachamaru fire arrows at it, but only Yoshi manages a hit. The spider takes a bite at Miyoshi but misses. The three fire again at point blank range but again only Yoshi hits; however, his shot is deadly and the spider is killed.

Further down the road the party finds four semi-wild pigs. Miyoshi and Yoshi bicker about Miyoshi's performance with the bow and Miyoshi sends Yoshi back to the main party. Miyoshi, Kachamaru and Kanemitsu fire at the pigs and quickly kill two of them. The third, narrowly missed by Kanemitsu runs off into the forest while the fourth runs towards the main party where it is killed by Yoshi (ironically) with a single arrow.

For the rest of the morning there are no more encounters, and the apprentices discuss the Ainu, with Miyoshi and Kanemitsu regarding them as humans with rights to their land, Kachamaru and Mineo regarding them as animals, and Haku and Yoshi somewhat ambivalent. After reaching the small town of Ono and having lunch, the party sets off again. At first there is a lack of game, but eventually they stumble across four grouse. In the first volley of arrows Yoshi and Mineo down two birds, but Miyoshi and Kachamaru miss. As the grouse fly away they send second arrows after them and down the final two birds.

After a night in Kamiiso, the party returns triumphantly to Hakodate where, with due ceremony, the apprentices are formally presented with their second swords and they become full samurai. To back up their experiences they are given 10 weeks to train at the school of their choice anywhere in the region. After the training they are to return to Hakodate for another mission into Ainu territory.

Next week: The new samurai use their latest training as they go on a major hunt to eradicate the Ainu threat. But events show the world is not as it seems.

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